YouTube & The Latin Music Explosion

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee broke all kinds of records this year with their global hit “Despacito.” Their song remained No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 16 consecutive weeks, has led charts around the world and its music video became the first in YouTube history to reach 4 billion views, achieving that milestone in only 272 days.

The Puerto Rican artist are not the only Latino artists that are making their mark in what could be described as the most dynamic year of Latin music.

New comers that have emerged in the last few years such as, Bad Bunny, Maluma, Cardi B and J Balvin, for example are on the top charts at the moment.

In addition to the record-setting 4.3 billion YouTube views “Despacito” has so far, 20 other Latin music videos have entered the “1 billion views club” . This is happening globally and faster than ever. J Balvin and Willy William’s video for “Mi Gente” reached 1 billion views in only 1oo days, becoming the fourth fastest in history to reach the milestone.

According to YouTube stats, over one third of the tracks featured on YouTube’s weekly music track chart feature Latin artists and over the last two years, daily views of the top 100 Latin acts on YouTube have grown over 75%. The popularity of diverse Latin genres has skyrocketed around the world. Daily view counts for top Latin acts compared to this time last year have grown 316% in India, 268% in Indonesia, 257% in Philippines, 206% in Egypt, 150% in Israel, 120% in the United Kingdom, 116% in Australia and nearly 50% in the United States.

Collaborations with English-language pop stars have helped raise awareness and increase the popularity of some of the songs – as in the case of the “Despacito” remix featuring Justin Bieber or Beyoncé lending vocals on “Mi Gente.” But accessibility and engagement of Latin music on digital and social platforms have allowed for its massive growth and popularity on a global scale.

Streaming music services have helped amplify that reach. Spotify, for example, offers the “Viva Latino” playlist – the third most streamed in the World.